Automatic railway switch



June 23, 1931. T. E. BLACKWELL ET AL 1,311,776

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Dec. 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gvwa/nio o c-rwe.

June 1931- 'r. E. BLACKWELL ET AL 1,311,776

AUTOMATI C RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Dec. 14, 1927 s She ei s-f-Sheet 2 ,J @W m 55 W1 masse 0 CA" 0 ma I June 23, 1931. T. E. BLACKVVELL ET AL 1,311,776

AUTOMATI C RAILWAY SWI TCH Filed Dec. '14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STA-IE PATENT OFFICE THOMAS- E. BLAGKWELL AND LESLIET. SMITH, or MCKINNEY, TEXAS Y Atr'ro ATIc RAILWAY rswrrcn Application filed December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,957.

This invention relates to the class of railway switches and signals and pertains particularly to means for actuating the track switch automatically t t The primary object of the present invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a mechanism whereby a train approaching a track switch will automatically actuate the switch to shunt the train to a side track or from the side track onto the main track, as desired.

A further object of they invention is to provide an automatic operating switch wherein the switch will be shifted and locked in position until the last coach of the train has passed therethrough after which it will be automatically actuated to its former position.

Numerous other objects and advantages of r the present invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will'be best understood from -a consideration of the following detailed description taken connection with the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, with the understanding, however that the inventionis not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from thesalient features 'of' the invention as expressed in the appended: claim. I

In the drawings Figure 1 showsatrack and a switch in plan, with the mechanism embodying the present invention associated therewith.

' Figure 21s a section taken substantially upon the line 242 of F igure'l.

Figure 3 is a section taken upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1. i 1 Figure dis a view-in side elevation showing the 'treadle which is'actuated from a coach truckfor theshifting of the switch.

Figure 5 is a section'taken upon the line 5-5of Figure '1.

Figure 6 is'a section taken 'substantiall upon the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of one end vof a car andtruck showing the-treadle operating mechanism.

upon the line 4, the rail 4 connecting with the frog 5 to and 7 in the usual manner.

The railsupporting ties '8 which pass beneath the rails 1 and 2 and the free ends of the members 6 and 7 are provided with the longitudinally extendingplate 9 the central portionof this plate which lies between the rails being depressed as indicated at 10 to provide a guide way for the laterally shiftwhich are attached the shiftable members ,6

lable locking bar 11." The free ends of the rail members 6 and 7 are secured to this locking-bar 11 as indicated at 12 so that when 7 the bar is shifted laterally of the rails the members 6 and 7 will swing therewith-to open the main track-line or to close the same and open the sideline as will be readily understood. That end of the locking'bar 1.1 which is adjacentthe rail 2 has a head 13 which liesin the recess 14 formed through the rail 2 as clearly shown in Figure 2 and the inner portion of this head is provided with the transverse recess '15 in the top .sur-

face thereof the purpose for which will be come apparent hereinafter. A supporting cradle 16 is mounted upon the plate 9 in the depressed portion 10 thereof outside of the rail 2 to receive the head 13 when the looking bar 111s shifted as shown in Figure 2.

The outer ends of the ties 8 carry a semaphore stand plate 17 which supports the upstanding bearing sleeve, 18 through which the rotary shaft 19'extends. The lower end of the shaft19, beneath the plate 17, carries a gear 20 and mounted in suitable supporting 'guides'21 is a rack bar 22 which meshes with the gear 20 and which is connected at the inner end with the locking bar 11 as indicated at 23, this connection 23 of course being a pivotal one.

The track siding rail 3 adjacent the member 7 has secured thereto the bar 24 the free end of which bar passes through the aperture 25 in the adjacent track member 7 and carries upon its outer end the spring 26 which bears against the washer 27 retained upon the free end of the bar by the nut 28. From this it will be seen that the spring 26 normally maintains the track switch rail section 7 with the free end in contact with the adjacent siding rail 3 and consequently, through the medium of the attached lock bar 11 maintains the free end of the other rail section 6 free from contact with the rail 2 of the main track. The main track is therefore always open under normal conditions.

Certain of the ties 29 which support the rails of the main track line have secured across their ends outside of the rail 1 the plate 30, Fig. 4, which is provided with the central longitudinally extending rib 31. To this rib 31 there are pivotally attached, each adjacent one end, a number of links 32 the other ends of the links being pivotally attached to the longitudinally extending rib 33 formed upon the under face of the treadle bar 34, each end of this bar being inclined downwardly as indicated at 35. Adjacent one end the under face of the treadle bar 34 is provided with the ear 36 to which is attached an arm 37 having its free end projecting through an aperture formed in the upturned end 38 of the plate 30. -A pair of springs 39 surround the arm 38 adjacent the free end thereof, each upon one side of the upturned end 38 through which the arm extends, and these springs being attached to the arm act to maintain the treadle 34 normally raised above head of the adjacent rail 1.

Extending transversely of the main track or the rails 1 and 2 is an oscillatory shaft 40 one end of which shaft extends to a point adjacent the central portion of the treadle 34 and carries the upstanding crank arm 41 while the central portion of this shaft is likewise provided with a crank arm 42. The arm 41 of the oscillatory shaft is connected with the lug 36 of the treadle by the link 43 from this it will be understood that when the treadle 34 is pressed downwardly theshaft 40 will be oscillated and when the treadle is released the spring 39 will reverse the 0scillatory movement of the shaft and will return the treadle to the normal position shown in Figure 4. r

Extending longitudinally of the main track between the rails 1 and 2, from the oscillatory bar 40 toward the lock bar 11, is a pull bar 43, which isconfined to the ties by the guide members 44 and is connected to the crank arm 42 by the link member 45. The forward end of the bar 43 is swivelly connected to one arm 46 of a bell-crank member indicated generally by the numeral 47. The arm, 48 of the bell-crank 47 is connected at its end to the shiftable bar 11 which lies therebeneath, by the link member 49. A spring 50 surrounds the forward end of the pull bar 43 and bears at one end upon the lug 51 carried by this bar, the other end of the spring bearing against the arm 46 of the bell-crank.

Lying adjacent the outer side of the rail 2 is a locking bar 52, which bar is supported upon the links 53 which have their lower ends pivotally mounted in the bearing 54 secured to the base of the adjacent rail 2. As shown this look 52 bears against the side of the rail head and extends under normal conditions, a slight distance thereabove. Substantially L shaped guide brackets 55 are provided which have their base portions 56 secured to the underside of the adjacent rail base while the vertical portion thereof extends upwardly against the outer face of the locking bar 52 as shown in Figure 11. The upper edge of the locking bar 52 is inclined downwardlv at each end as indicated at 57 and one end of this locking bar is normally arranged adjacent the outer side of the shiftable bar head 13 and in plane slightly above the same as shown in Figure 2 so that when the bar 11 is moved transversely of the track the head will pass beneath the locking bar 52 to position the slot 15 therebeneath and permit the locking bar to be depressed into this slot for the purpose of maintaining the bar 11 and the track rail sections 6 and 7 in shifted position. The outer face of the locking bar 52 carries the brackets 58 to which an outer arm 59 is attached at one end, the other end of the arm extending downwardly through an apertured bracket 60. This arm has surrounding the free end portion the spring 61 with its inner end attached to the arm while the outer end bears against the bracket 60. This normally acts upon the locking bar 52 to maintain the same in raised position with respect to the adjacent rail.

Trains passing over the tracks equipped with the special switch control mechanism just described, are provided with special means for depressing the treadle 34 which means is clearly illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 wherein the numeral 62 indicates a portion of car body which is supported upon one of a pair of trucks of the usual type which comprises the side beam structures 63 between which the axles 64 are positioned and which axles carry the usual wheels 65.

Extending across between the beams 63 of one of the car trucks. is an elongated rectan eular frame 66 one end of which projects asubstantial distance beyond the right side of the car so as to pass over the treadle 34 of the switch control mechanism.

A shaft 67 extends longitudinally of the frame 66 and carries thereon the roller 68 in the extended end of the frame, the hub of this roller carrying the upstanding arm 69 which has secured therein one end of a rod 70. This rod extends longitudinally of the frame through the upstanding brackets 71 which are carried upon the underlying side rail of the frame. A lug 72 is carried by the rod and between this lug and the inner one of the brackets 71 is a spring 73.

Arranged longitudinally beneath the body 62 is an oscillating shaft 74 which has a crank arm 7 5 extending outwardly beyond the side of the car while the other end of the shaft or bar carries the arm 76 which is connected by the chain 77, passing over the pulley member 78 carried upon the frame 66, with inner end of the rod 70. As will be readily seen the spring 7 3 normally acts to force the rod 70 toward the outer end of the frame 66 and consequently maintains the roller 68 in the extended outer end of this frame. When in this position the roller lies beyond the treadle 34 and will not contact with the same. However, when it is desired to throw the switch of the track the lever is oscillated to pull the bar 7 0 inwardly and thus move the roller 68 to a position closer to the track rail in which position the roller will ride onto and press downwardly the treadle 34 and operate the switch in the foregoing described manner. With the treadle 34 depressed the bar 11 moves laterally to close the switch so the train can take the siding and due to the close proximity of the locking bar 52 to the opposite rail, this locking bar will be pressed downwardly by the treadle of the car wheels through said apertured upturned end, a spring'on said arm on each side of said upturned end, thereby holding the treadle bar in its proper position, and means operated by the movement ofthe treadle bar for connecting the same to a switch;

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

THOMAS E. BLACKWELL. LESLIE T. SMITH.

and caused to engage in the notch 15 of the bar 11 which has been moved to position through the operation of the treadle 34. In this manner it will be readily understood that after the last of the cars has passed over the locking bar 52 the spring 61 controlling this bar will operate to raise the same, and the treadle 34 will likewise be returned to raised position through the action of the spring 39. When a car is backing from the siding the switch rail sections 6 and 7 will be forced over in the usual manner by the car wheel flanges thereby shifting the bar 11. The advancing wheels of the coach will then pass over the locking bar 52 and press it downwardly into the notch 15 of the bar 11 locking the same in position as above described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: r

A track device comprising a plate adapted to be arranged longitudinally of and adjacent one rail of a track, said plate having an apertured upturned end at one end thereof, an elongated treadle bar, means movably connecting said bar to said plate, an arm pivotally mounted on said treadle bar and passing 

